The Time Card
by MobBob
Summary: One-Shot: Beca tries to drop off her time card before spring break, but things don't go the way she planned.


Chloe walked up behind Beca, who was sitting at a table by the campus café, looking at an orange piece of paper. "Hey Beca, psyched for spring break?"

"Of course, just gotta turn in my time card." Beca held up the piece of paper she was working on. "The Bookie needs them by twelve."

"That's in an hour," said Chloe.

"Yeah." Beca stood up and walked away. "Gotta go."

"Well do you mind if I walk with you?" said Chloe.

"No," said Beca. "Just keep up."

Chloe followed Beca outside of the café and towards the library, which Beca used as a shortcut to the Bookie's office. Chloe tried to strike up a conversation. "So, what do you think of the Cinderella remake?"

"I thought it was weird," said Beca. "Like, I get you want to combine fairy tales, but what does Little Red Riding Hood have to do with Rapunzel?"

"That was Into the Woods," said Chloe. "I'm talking about the Cinderella movie that's coming out."

"Didn't Into the Woods have Cinderella in it?" said Beca.

"Fair enough," said Chloe. "Still, I'm gonna see the new movie. I don't know what it is, but I think I've got a thing for Cinderella."

"Yeah, it's a popular story," said Beca. "I went as her for Halloween one year."

"True," said Chloe. "Plus, she's got that whole troubled home life thing going on. That's always hot."

"Wait, are you saying you're attracted to a fictional character because she underwent years of horrific physical and psychological abuse?" said Beca.

"No," said Chloe. "It's not like I sometimes fantasize about hugging her, hoping I can make all her pain go away."

"Uh...I regret telling you about my Cinderella costume," said Beca. The two then noticed a mob of students that had formed in front of the library. Beca walked up to one of the students. "Hey, what's going on?"

"It's a protest," said the student.

"About what?" said Chloe.

"Well...um I think it's about the cost of textbooks," said the student. "Every year they make pointless revisions to the textbooks so we have to buy the latest editions and we're sick of it."

"No it's not," said another student. "This is about the University's draconian drug policies...I think."

"So which one is it?" said Beca.

"Yeah, I'm confused," said the first student. "It said this was about textbooks on the Facebook page."

"Well Connor told me this was about drugs," said the other student. "Hey Connor, isn't this about drugs, or is this about textbooks?"

The other student waved to Connor, who was apparently walking by. "No, it's neither of those things. This is the spring barbeque."

"So if this isn't a protest, can you just let us pass?" said Beca.

"No," said the first student. "This may have started as a simple barbeque, but it's morphed into something more."

"Okay, that's awesome," said Beca. "So can you just let us pass?"

"Are you saying that you cross picket lines?" said the other student.

"Well, what about just this one time?" said Beca.

"Look, let's just go around the library," said Chloe. "We've still got thirty minutes. That's plenty of time to get to the Bookie."

"Fine," said Beca.

She and Chloe started to walk around the mob when two police cars drove up and a police office with a megaphone stepped out. "Okay, we've received a complaint from the University. If you disband now, we won't have to use force."

"Never!" Someone cried out and a soda can hit the officer in the face.

"Shit," said Chloe.

Soon a shot was fired and tear gas filled the air. Beca found herself rubbing her eyes. "My god, it stings!"

"Just muscle through it," said Chloe. "We can still make it if we run."

Beca began to run, but found herself face-to-face with a man in full SWAT armor. "Down on the ground!"

"I'm not part of this," said Beca. "I just need to get to the Bookie."

"I don't care," said the man. "Down on the ground!"

Just then, Chloe leaped on the man. "Chloe! What are you doing?"

"Don't mind me." Chloe was kicking and scratching the man. "Just run!"

Beca did as she was told, running straight for the Bookie and didn't even turn around. All the while she was resisting the urge to rub her eyes. When she got to the Bookie's office, she frantically knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a voice. "It's unlocked."

Beca opened the door and saw an uninterested middle-aged woman sitting at the desk. "Hey, I've got to drop off my time card."

"Okay." The woman took Beca's time card. "What happened to you?"

"Long story," said Beca as she collapsed to the floor.

* * *

When Beca came to, she saw Chloe standing over her. "Chloe? How'd you escape the police?"

"Don't worry about it," said Chloe. "The guy didn't really get a good look at me, so I shouldn't have to worry about it."

"Well that's good...I guess," said Beca. "Hey, in case I forget, thanks for that. You really saved me back there."

"Oh, it was nothing," said Chloe.

"Will you at least let me make it up to you?" said Beca.

"Sure," said Chloe.

"Great," said Beca. "Just say the word and I'll do whatever you want."

Chloe thought for a moment. "This really is a tuffy."

"Just one limitation," said Beca. "You're not going to see me in my Cinderella costume."

"Spoil sport," said Chloe.


End file.
